Brexit: “We voted for departure but not the destination”

Tim Farron MP visited Cambridge Judge Business School to discuss the impact of Brexit on the business and entrepreneurial community in Britain.

Tim Farron MP

Tim Farron MP, Leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrat Party is optimistic that that the outcomes of Brexit can be positive for Britain; and business and entrepreneurial communities are going to have to play an active role – that was the key message he gave to a packed audience at Cambridge Judge Business School on Tuesday evening.

At the event, hosted by Cambridge Judge’s Entrepreneurship Centre, Mr Farron, who has a particular interest in business and entrepreneurship, covered several areas on the impact of Brexit. He placed a strong emphasis on the fact that although Britain voted to leave the European Union, it did not vote to abandon democracy and the final destination of a ‘new Britain’ remains undecided.

Mr Farron was very much in listening mode, while the audience asked questions and voiced their concerns on several of the issues they are facing, or might face as a result of last year’s referendum. These include: the challenges of working outside the single market, the loss of EU labour, the free movement of people and the loss of funding from EU partnerships and collaborations.

His message to them was clear, the business and entrepreneurial community need to be vocal about what they want to see happen in the negotiations, which will begin after Article 50 is triggered on Wednesday 29 March 2017. The terms of departure are not finalised and it is far from being a done deal. There will be opportunities throughout the process for businesses to affect the final outcome – and these must be taken advantage of.

Cambridge is the biggest and most diverse eco-system in Europe, and collectively it has a strong voice – there is no doubt it is in a perfect position to help shape a positive future for Britain – post Brexit.